1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate to boats having a remote control units, and more particularly, remote control units with shift levers through which a boat operator can remotely control forward, neutral, and reverse drive modes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Document JP-A-2005-297785 discloses a shift system for a boat propulsion unit including a remote control operation unit having a remote control shift lever through which a boat operator can remotely shift the propulsion unit between forward, neutral, and reverse drive modes. The remote control operation unit also includes a boat propulsion unit having a shift switching device for selectively shifting between the forward, neutral, and the reverse drive modes and a shift actuator for operating the shift switching device. Control means are used for controlling the operation of the shift actuator in response to the operation amount of the remote control shift lever. The control means determines when the remote control shift lever has been operated within a certain range of a shift range from a neutral position, and then controls the operation amount of the actuator to the unit operation amount of the shift lever so as to vary with portions of the shift range.
Such conventional boats are configured such that the position of the remote control shift lever is first detected, then the shift actuator is controlled in response to the detected position of the remote control shift lever. For example, the shift switching device is operated by a driving force from the shift actuator. During operation, including when engine speed is relatively high, a dog clutch coupled to a propeller is in locking engagement with a forward or reverse gear.